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jinja treatment room at myhotel Bloomsbury - 3 bubbles
It's all "East meets West" at the boutique myhotel Bloomsbury. When Sassy Spy was invited to visit, she met a fantastic massage and facial, followed by a scattering of orchids, crystals and lemon-parsley risotto. Shame that she couldn't sit in the library (for hotel guests only). Do they think spa-goers can't read? Expect a peaceful tiny piece of Feng-Shui paradise, then, but don't take a book.
Was it easy to book?
First impressions?
How did they welcome you?
What happens next?
Which treatments did you have?
What were the treatments like?
How did you feel afterwards?
What happens afterwards?
Was it worth it?
What else could you have?
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Any special features?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
Was it easy to book?
Yep. Quick, easy and straight forward.
First impressions?
I left the busy high street of Tottenham Court Road, and entered myhotel Bloomsbury's quiet, quirky reception area. All the myhotels have a different interior design concept. The theme of the myhotel Bloomsbury is "East meets West", which has been "designed with contemporary eclecticism in mind". You'll find yourself looking at cool, clean-cut edges of Western design, softened with oriental flowers, large ornaments and Buddha heads. Just my cup of green tea. I felt the design really worked.
How did they welcome you?
Natasha, the hotel's sales and marketing executive, was waiting for me at reception and we instantly hit it off.
What happens next?
Natasha gave me a tour around the hotel. It was spotlessly clean and airy. The first-floor rooms had high ceilings and felt very large. The furniture was quite higgledy-piggledy, in a creative and homely way, which made me feel that I wasn't just in any old hotel. The lines were sharp, the woods were dark, and the wallpaper and bedding were funky. Quirky photos dotted the walls, again with an "East meets West" theme. Huge, beautiful crystals and perfectly gorgeous orchids shone out from shelves: Natasha told me the elements were all to do with Feng Shui, which ensures that the hotel has a positive energy. I loved myhotel's unique, stylish beauty compared to so many generic dullard hotels out there. After my tour of the hotel, we headed back to reception. At reception, I met my therapist, Christina, who took me downstairs to the lower-ground floor, and to the spa. Or rather, I should say, she took me downstairs to the treatment room. After seeing the wonders of the rest of the hotel, this downstairs area didn't feel quite so special. On one side was the gym, and on the other was a windowed door to the library. We walked past the day-lit gym, filled with a fair amount of new looking machines, until we reached a toilet and, a bit further along, four lockers and a shower. So, I'd imagine that this area doesn't get very busy then. Or if it does, maybe everyone patiently takes it in turns to wait for a locker. After the tour, Christina led me back to the interesting, cavernous library to fill out my health questionnaire. She told me that this area is only used by hotel guests, and by people having treatments who are filling out their form. You can't use the library for a pre- or post-treatment lounge unless you're a hotel guest. What a shame! The library looked very mellow, with orange lighting and white walls; it would make a wonderful relaxation room. If I could, I would get to myhotel Bloomsbury an hour early to just loiter happily in the library, whiling away some peaceful time. I'd love to lounge on the comfy big arm chairs before my treatment, reading a book and sipping slowly on one of the complimentary teas, coffees, or a water from the fridge. There are a lot of books: a chance to catch up on fashion, interiors and designs from around the world. At the far end of the library is an area with a huge-screened Mac and a PC, with free wi-fi. This could quite possibly thwart the peace. It's not very spa-friendly up that end...
Which treatments did you have?
I had the jinja special (90 minutes for £85), using Aveda products.
What were the treatments like?
I followed Christina into the scrumptiously-fragranced jinja treatment room and was a little taken aback at how dinky it was. It was very nice, don't get me wrong, but it certainly wasn't a spacious treatment room. I exclaimed to Christina that the room was very compact and asked if she found it hard to work in. She said that she loved it, and that a lot of customers liked the cosy, intimate experience. The couch in the middle of the room shared space with some shelves full of Aveda products, and a chair. Slightly parted curtains hid some more shelves of various bits and bobs, as well as a small CD player. There was a lovely, huge mirror on the back of the door. Christina told me to undress to my pants and then lie face down on the bed, under the towel. She left the room, giving me ample time to get changed and comfortable on the couch. I put my head on the head rest, face through the hole. On her return, Christina dimmed the lights. She had thoughtfully returned with some tissues for me, as I was at the tail-end of a cold and prone to a random drip. Christina started the treatment by cleansing my feet and in between my toes with warm flannels. This was borderline ticklish but so good. Next, she began work on my back, drizzling hot oil all over me and massaging away, skilfully placing one of my arms on to my back and working out my knotty rhomboid muscles. Christina instinctively knew where my most tense places were and ironed out my rock-like shoulder muscles. She manoeuvred around my body with ease, tested my flexibility, and gave me some stretches. At one point, she allowed my arms to dangle either side of the bed as she pulled and massaged into my knotty areas. I was surprised at just how tense my poor upper body was. We were chatty to start with until Christina finished speaking with: "And now I leave you to relax..." which is the best way anyone's told me to shut up and enjoy. Point taken. Christina massaged hot oils into the back of my legs, straight into my kidney meridian, gave me heel-to-bottom stretches, and I really enjoyed it when she was working on the base of my foot. My feet were aching a tad from my chosen footwear of the day. It's a good job I don't wear those pesky high heels too often. I did come to slightly when the CD had finished and had to be played again, but Christina sorted this in a swift manoeuvre. The heated bed was very welcome. It actually beeps quietly when it gets hot enough - very high tech. I turned over so Christina could massage my front, which was just as delicious. The jinja special finished with a facial, which was also lovely. At one point, I felt a stinging sensation by my upper lip and made Christina aware of this. She apologised and swiftly cleansed the area, stating that the stinging was from the lime she had used to cleanse her hands of the oils. After that, the rest of the facial was divine. I was so relaxed from my body massage, that I believe I drifted off...
How did you feel afterwards?
Yummy, warm, bleary-eyed, and relaxed.
What happens afterwards?
The lovely Christina left the room to allow me to chill and slowly come back to the now. She went and got me some water and asked if I wanted a shower or hot flannels to wash off the oils. Hang on a minute -- I wanted to keep those oils on! Sometimes water makes me feel unrelaxed after a treatment. Not sure why. Maybe it's the getting in and out of a shower, getting cold, or getting water on my face. So I opted for the hot-flannel option which Christina duly brought for me. I wiped away a little of the oils and got dressed again. After my treatment, I enjoyed lunch in myhotel Bloomsbury's ground-floor restaurant. The food was pretty special. Everything was cooked to perfection and was served and delivered by rightfully proud chefs and waiters. I feasted upon king scallops and lemon-parsley risotto, followed by sea bass on a bed of puy lentils, all washed down with the most delicious fresh fruit smoothie.
Was it worth it?
Yes. My treatment was fab, and delivered by a very professional expert therapist. After visiting the jinja treatment room, I felt fresh faced, ironed out and ready for the world.
What else could you have?
The bijou jinja treatment room at myhotel Bloomsbury offers a suitably compact spa menu. The jinja signature treatments include a lovely-sounding Mosqueta Rose Healing body wrap, which includes a ginger salt scrub and warm herbal rose body mask. The Manuka Honey wrap sounds like a good choice, too. You can also try an Aveda massage, facial, or signature experience: the Chocolate Frenzy Experience brings you a chocolate body wrap in the spa, followed by a cocoa-laden dessert and hot chocolate in the hotel's mybar. The jinja treatment room also offers waxing, threading, and manicures and pedicures.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Anyone can enjoy a treatment at the jinja treatment room, but you have to be a hotel guest to use the "Energy Zone" gym.
Any special features?
There is only one therapist at the jinja treatment room!
Who do you think would like it?
Hotel guests. Feng Shui fans. Myhotel is slap bang in a busy, built-up business area, and we would recommend the jinja treatment room for workers in the surrounding area. So close to where they work, but feels a million miles away.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
We gave jinja treatment room at myhotel 3 bubbles. Why not more? There was no relaxation room for post-treatment time, and this was a shame, as there was a very good space in the library hardly being used. The jinja treatment room also felt like a bit of an add-on to the hotel, and it didn't seem to have been given the space it deserves. Christina delivered a fabulous high 4-bubble treatment in the very compact treatment room. And did I say how delightfully quiet the place was?
See more on how we rate the spas.
Would you go again?
Yes, if I were staying at myhotel or worked in the area. I'd like to meet a friend for lunch and nip downstairs for a treatment afterwards. No, if I were looking for a true "spa-ahh" experience.
We visited myhotel in March 2009.
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See also:
* Contact Details for jinja treatment room (myhotel)Bloomsbury
* Facials
* Read more spa reviews
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